


Endless Numbered Days

by bigmoneygator



Series: Build A House Inside Of You [2]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Chuck Lives, Domestic Bliss, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-12
Updated: 2013-10-13
Packaged: 2017-12-29 04:21:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1000820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigmoneygator/pseuds/bigmoneygator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The happiest years are yet to come.</p><p>
  <i>The sweet like candy ending half of 'You Are A Runner'.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sparksy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparksy/gifts).



> SO. well. Yes. The "drabbles" got away from me really quick. Like, really quickly. At first it was all "Oh this is a cute drabble" and "That would be a really cute one-shot" and suddenly I'm sitting here with like. Fifty unedited pages of intense marital bliss thinking "No one is ever going to want to read this." Now it's really its own independent story, though I really recommend reading 'You Are A Runner' if you're going to read this because otherwise you might get totally lost. This picks up right after the epilogue. Like maybe six months. The first few chapters are relatively short but they're actually all DONE so you'll get them very quickly.
> 
> And if you all hate it, well. Blame [Tsailanza](http://tsailanza.tumblr.com) because she totally bribed me with fanart.

_2027 - May_

Sundays are cleaning days. Raleigh's wiping down the pictures hung on the wall in the living room. He takes each one down to dust it, reverently swiping away the dust and lovingly rehanging them one at a time. Pictures have always meant a lot to Rangers, the last reminders of people that are gone, things that meant something, proof of the existence of a world without so much loss. 

Chuck keeps taking breaks from washing dishes and cleaning out the fridge to watch Raleigh work. His fingers linger on the picture of him and Yancy, back from their glory days. That and a picture of Chuck and his mom from when he was young are the center focal point of the spiderweb of photos. Chuck goes back to the dishes, staring out the window over the sink, past the ledge of knickknacks and tchotchkes Dad's collected for him over the years.

The backyard looks empty, all the lawnchairs and firepit packed away in the shed for the winter. Summer had been a lot of fun, with Chuck's uni friends coming over for beer and burgers, Nancy and Eileen bringing the kids over to splash in an inflatable pool and play with the dog. Now it's sort of dead.

Chuck supposes that the nicest part of living with someone that you love is filling in the dead spots with life; with arguments and laughter and tears and really great parties.

"Rals?" Chuck calls.

"Yeah?" Raleigh replies.

"I think we should get married in the backyard."

Raleigh comes into the kitchen, a small, amused smile playing at his lips. "Yeah? You wanna combine it with your graduation party?"

Chuck sighs. "I don't want to wait anymore."

"Chuck," Raleigh says, a little stern. "We've talked about this. We're waiting until you've graduated."

" _Rah_ -leigh," Chuck whines.

Raleigh's hand flies to his forehead. It's been Chuck's experience that Raleigh will do just about anything if Chuck calls him by the butchered version of his name. Chuck knows that he's got Raleigh wrapped up around all ten of his fingers, and he tries not to cash in on it too much or else Herc or Nancy makes some comment about Raleigh being whipped. 

"Maybe," Raleigh says. Chuck grins. " _Maybe_."

Chuck knows it's a yes.

\--

Newt comes down for a conference at one of the universities, sponsored by some whale conservationist group. Raleigh and Chuck meet up with him at a bar and he gets drunk and chatty really quick.

"Can't believe you two are getting married," Newt says into his pint glass. "Talk about 'top ten couples I never thought would ever happen'."

"It's really great that you have so much confidence in us," Raleigh says dryly.

"Hey, man, all I remember is you two trying to pound each other into hamburger," Newt says. "Epic beatdown, man."

"It wasn't that epic," Chuck says after a moment of thought.

Raleigh quirks a grin at Chuck. "It was kind of epic."

"You guys should let me grow your wedding rings," Newt declares.

"What?" Raleigh asks.

"Yeah, yeah," Newt says, nodding. He holds up his right hand, points to a ring on his middle fingers. It looks like it's made out of ivory. "Before my mom passed away, she let me get a bone sample and I grew this little beauty so I would always have her with me."

"That is disgusting," Chuck says, trying to hold back a sneer.

"It's kind of sweet," Raleigh says, nudging Chuck in the ribs roughly. "How long would it take?"

"I mean, technically it could take two months," Newt says, swilling his beer around in its glass. "But I just started experimenting with this really neat phosphorous infused bionutrient liquid that speeds up ossification like crazy, so I might be able to get it done in like . . . maybe four or five weeks."

"What are you doing for work, again?" Raleigh asks.

"Growing organs for transplant," Newt says with a grin. "It's the coolest thing ever, you make a scaffold out of collagen and then you inject stem cells from a donor and feed it nutrients and I can grow you anything you want."

Chuck makes a horrified face and Raleigh elbows him again. "So I mean, theoretically speaking, we could have our rings in a month?" Raleigh asks.

"Yeah, man. I just need your bones," Newt says, nodding. "Do either of you still have your wisdom teeth?"

\--

Chuck was born without wisdom teeth and Raleigh teases him for being a freak of nature while Newt's temporary lab assistant at University of Sydney slices down into his gums. Chuck nearly bites the poor girl's fingers off trying to pop back off with something snarky to say. Raleigh laughs so hard he nearly falls off the stool.

"This is going to hurt a bit," the lab assistant says, "even with the analgesic."

She proceeds to jab Chuck's jaw with much more force than might be entirely necessary. 

Raleigh kept his wisdom teeth after they were extracted when he was at the Jaeger Academy, and strangely enough still has them floating around in the little wooden memory box he's kept since he was sixteen. He gives one to Newt.

"This is perfect," Newt says, shaking the little glass vial with Raleigh's tooth in it. "When are you guys getting married again? I could grow them here, I mean, I don't think the bioreactors are quite up to my standards but I can whip up that ossification brew in, like, a second."

Chuck looks at Raleigh, throwing daggers with his glare while the lab assistant stitches him up.

"Summertime," Raleigh says. "Probably January."

Chuck's lips twitch into a numb version of a smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _February 2028 & May 2030_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, everything is WRITTEN, it's just a matter of cleaning it all up. This is literally just fluff. Like pure exhibitionist fluffy nonsense. Enjoy! <3

_2028 - February_

It's not the first PPDC wedding, and it probably won't be the last. It's certainly not the biggest, or the most lavish and elaborate, or even the one attended by the most press. But it's Chuck and Raleigh's, so it might as well be the most important one ever. It doesn't have much; rented chairs lining the backyard, a trellis artfully covered in sunflowers and ivy, just a few important people. Chuck and Eileen cooked all the food, laid out on a red picnic table with buckets of cold beer and champagne. Herc slaps a bowtie on Max, who might win for most dressed up.

It's the most beautiful sight Chuck's ever seen. He stands in the kitchen in his suit, leaning on the counter and trying not to make it terribly obvious that he's watching everyone outside. There are so many old friends out there; Newt and Hermann, arguing while poor Vanessa looks on with a strained expression, holding onto their son's hand. Mako in her pale blue sundress and a floppy straw hat, tugging her harried looking English boyfriend around to meet everyone. Tendo, still in the stupid bowtie and suspenders, standing next to Allison and talking to Dad, holding Max's leash. 

There are new faces, too. Nancy and Eileen with all of the kids, Raleigh's boss David, Chuck's coworker Marlene and her husband Frank. There's Janine and Mark from uni, their significant others trailing behind them. Dad invited some of the newbies from PPDC headquarters; there aren't any active Rangers anymore, but they still take a few kids from the military to shore up ranks. 

It's perfect.

Raleigh sneaks up behind Chuck and slips hands into Chuck's pockets.

"Christ," Chuck snaps, jumping. "You almost gave me a coronary!"

"Sorry," Raleigh laughs, kissing Chuck's neck. "I just wanted to see if you were going to bail on me."

"Are you nuts?" Chuck says. "I've been bouncing around for months waiting for this."

"Just checking," Raleigh says.

"Isn't there something about bad luck, seeing each other on the wedding day?"

"I think that's just brides," Raleigh says, pulling Chuck closer to him so he can rest his chin on Chuck's shoulder. "Besides, I think we'll be spared some bad luck for a little while. Karma, and all that."

"Yeah. We saved the world that one time."

Raleigh laughs.

Tendo scurries into the house, patting his hair. "You kids ready to get this show on the road?" He's officiating, but Chuck could swear with all the effort he put into his appearance he might as well be the one getting married. 

Raleigh had originally wanted Mako to walk him down the aisle, but Chuck vetoed it on the grounds that it would mean that Herc would have to walk _him_ , and there was no way he was letting that happen. They walk together.

Chuck's grateful for it now, because he can barely see through the tears in it his eyes. Not that he would admit it, or anything. Between the sunshine and the flash from the photographer, there's plenty to blame his blurred vision on.

Later, Chuck can't accurately recall the ceremony in one smooth memory. It's like a Drift; there are bits and pieces, small gems that he can pull out and peruse. He couldn't tell you what, exactly, Herc said when he stood up to do a short reading, only the way Raleigh laughs at the end. He couldn't tell you when Mako started distributing flower crowns to everyone, only that by the end, everyone has one and Chuck can't get over the sight of Max in a bowtie and a miniature crown, decked out with pink rosebuds. 

The only thing he remembers with crystal clarity are the words that Raleigh says, the feel of the ring slipping onto his finger.

"You are," Raleigh breathes, "the best part of me. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone or anything else. I want to be there when you're happy, when you're upset, when you're being a little shit." A small chorus of laughter wafted up from the crowd, especially from the contingent that knew them when they were Rangers. "You've grown up so much and I just can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Tough act to follow," Chuck murmurs. "Showoff."

"Big words, little fish," Raleigh laughs. 

"No fistfights in the middle of the ceremony," Tendo chides. Everyone laughs again.

"Raleigh," Chuck says, "you're infuriating and obnoxious and I've never been happier in my entire life. I'm not going to lie to you and say that Nancy didn't help me come up with something to say up here, but it boiled down to 'tell the truth'. And the truth is that I'm crazy about you, and I never thought I was going to settle down and I don't think that anyone else did either. But I am infinitely glad that you're along for this ride."

"On behalf of the PPDC, the United Life Ministries and the Commonwealth of Australia, I now declare you partners for life," Tendo says. "Have it, boys."

They kiss for so long that Tendo kicks Raleigh's leg.

"Come on, man, I'm starving," Tendo hisses. 

Raleigh laughs and Chuck wants to freeze time forever, right at the moment where Raleigh's eyes sparkle, the sunflowers reflected in their bright blue surface, when he realizes there's not a damn thing in the world that could top this.

_August - 2030_

Chuck graduates with a master's in marine biology after two grueling years, writing his thesis on those wretched sea urchins he's been screwing with since before he and Raleigh even got married. He never wants to look at another one again. The whale conservation group that Newt works with sometimes offers him a job, tagging and tracking, and Chuck takes it mainly because it means he'll get to be on a boat most days. His love of the ocean never went away, never left him, even if sometimes he gets a little claustrophobic down in the belly of the research boat.

Sea life is strange now, after the Kaiju wrecked the ecosystem and essentially poisoned the water. The beaches are clean now, at least, but when Chuck is working a trawling net with some of the other scientists they still have to wear special gloves. Chuck has a habit of chattering away about his research at dinner, babbling about thermophilic bacteria and deep vent communities, how they've adapted to the alkaline poison and that might mean that the food chain will stabilize again.

Raleigh, for his part, doesn't really understand what Chuck's talking about most of the time, but he listens intently. He doesn't get so intently into his work, preferring to use his hands and not his brain. He says he'd go crazy if he had to sit around _thinking_ all day, using complex algebraic expressions to estimate whale reproduction. He works to clear his head. But, still, when Chuck is getting intense about the increase in shrimp population meaning that the whale population should be on the uptake, makes a diagram of Grey Whale migration patterns using mashed potatoes and a butter knife, Raleigh acts like it's the most important thing in the world.

Raleigh's started working a lot lately. It worried Chuck at first, all the time he spent out of the house. He still does construction with David and the industrial recycling gig with Nancy, but he picks up a job at the primary school Eileen is principal of. Chuck laughs for ages when Raleigh says he got a job as a preschool teacher's assistant, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Kids love Raleigh, always have, and he adores them right back. He does some press work for Herc sometimes, monument and memorial dedications and scholarships awards, stupid shit that Herc can toss some money out of the budget for. 

Chuck tells him to relax, that three jobs is a lot. He asks why Raleigh's even working that much. Their bank account, while not quite as cushy as Chuck would like, isn't exactly empty considering the fact that they're still very young and have a mortgage and an entire house worth of bills to pay.

"That's not what I'm worried about," Raleigh insists.

"I barely get to see you anymore," Chuck grouses. "You're always so busy. What are you saving up for?"

Raleigh pins Chuck to mattress and bites down on his collarbone a little too hard. He's still stronger than Chuck and it's infuriating most of the time. "We're gonna start having kids soon, aren't we?"

"We are?" Chuck laughs.

"'Course. Isn't that how it goes? Try to murder each other on a pseudo-military installation, save the world, get the guy, get married, have a couple of . . . What do you Australians call them? Ankle biters?"

"We've been married for like, two years," Chuck says. "I only _just_ stopped being a mental case a few years ago. We still have time, we can go travel and stuff."

"We still have plenty of time," Raleigh says. "It's an investment in the future."

"You working so much?"

"Yeah, of course," Raleigh says. He kisses Chuck. "Gotta get college funds started up, right? And start investing in diaper company stock."

"Ugh," Chuck groans. "Diapers?"

"I imagine kids are a lot like drunk Rangers," Raleigh says. "Running around pissing themselves and puking and napping at bad times."

"I want to travel first," Chuck says.

"We did plenty of travelling."

"Jockeying from one Shatterdome to the next doesn't constitute 'travel'," Chuck snorts. "Not in my book."

"But you want 'em eventually, right?" Raleigh asks, almost whining.

Chuck sighs. "Yeah, Rals. Of course I do."

Raleigh grins. He tickles Chuck's ribs.

"Oi!" Chuck laughs. "Cut that shit out!"

"They can call you daddy," Raleigh whispers into Chuck's neck, "and I'll be papa."

Chuck doesn't admit it, but that sounds extremely nice.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _December 2030-August 2031_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I'm CHUGGING along. But when I said it was all done? I meant that it was _all done_. Cleaning it up isn't exactly as hard as I thought it would be.

_December 2030_

All Australia needs for Christmas is a God damn catastrophe.

The word comes in while they're all at Sunday dinner at Nancy and Eileen's, pasta and meatballs like always. Herc's work cell phone starts buzzing, skittering across the table.

"Hercules," Eileen scolds, "don't you dare pick up that phone."

"Aw, Eileen," Herc says. "It's work."

"This is family time," Nancy says, eyeing Stephanie. Her oldest daughter is constantly trying to sneak her phone to the dinner table to text her friends but the cell phone ban has been firmly in place since before Chuck ever met the moms.

"All right," Herc says, slipping the phone in his pocket. 

But it just keeps buzzing.

Eileen looks at Nancy while Chuck looks at Herc, whose eyes have rolled skyward. Raleigh is doing that thoughtful chewing thing that occasionally drives Chuck insane.

"Let me just see what's going on, yeah?" Herc says, standing up. "It might be important."

Judging by the litany of swears coming from the deck not even a minute later, it's probably _definitely_ important.

Chuck's boss is on the horn not long after the PPDC starts harassing Herc. One of the trucks that carries Kaiju blue contaminants and waste products to a treatment facility overturned and killed something like two hundred people. Straight up to Raleigh's birthday, it's nothing but damage control and phone calls and press junkets. Herc's face is on the news again, assuring the general public that things are under control and it was an isolated incident.

For a while there, things are rough. The Whale Conservation Society wants Chuck to be their poster boy, to go and advocate for cleaner ways to take care of Kaiju waste; essentially, he would be demanding his father to take some sort of action. He refuses. He's not in the business of butting heads with Herc, not anymore. Still, there's a strain on the entire family until Newt's weirdo science company comes forward with a new way of neutralizing Kaiju blue using weak biological acids that won't harm the environment and doesn't require so much hauling of wastes.

At least it shuts up the press and the griping politicians and assuages the terrified public. It does wonders for the the father-son dynamic. Herc starts talking to Chuck again. 

Right before Christmas, Chuck reads an article about the kids who were orphaned by the spill. Someone, the Red Cross or something, is taking donations for Christmas presents. Chuck leaves the tablet open to the article at Raleigh's place at the table before he comes out of the shower for breakfast.

"That's horrible," Raleigh clucks, scrolling through. "Those poor kids."

"You reckon we should donate some stuff?" Chuck asks, scraping eggs into a plate. "I mean. It kinda feels right."

"Oh my God, I can't even look at these pictures," Raleigh groans. He flips the tablet around. There's a photo of a kid who's honestly just fucking _adorable_ , even Chuck can admit, holding onto a fireman's hand and crying. "They just get you with guilt. Next thing you know they'll slap a sad song over a montage and play it in between 'A Christmas Story' on the TV."

" _Raleigh_ ," Chuck says. "You're getting off topic."

"Yes, of course we're donating," Raleigh says. "Of course." He nods, continuing to scroll through. "I need to look at pictures of cats or something, this is depressing."

They go to the community center the day before Christmas, loaded down with more toys than they could probably afford. Raleigh does that _thing_ when it comes to kids, that 'spoil the crap out of them just for the look on their face' thing. Chuck figures that he's been through some lean times. Hell, Chuck's been through some lean Christmases. Dad wasn't even around half the time, sending out a care package of sweets and a card and some money for a few years. 

"Aw, christ," Raleigh groans when they drop all the gifts off at the table. He leans in to whisper in Chuck's ear, "They've got all the kids here, babe. We gotta boogie or I'm going to start to cry."

"Rals," Chuck says, "they're gonna know who we are."

Raleigh grits his teeth. "The price of heroics," he says.

"We signed up for this," Chuck says, elbowing him in the ribs.

The woman seated at the table stares at them, one eyebrow raised, peering over the rim of her glasses. When Raleigh and Chuck start their small, bickering arguments in public, they generally get that response. 

"Hey, uh," Chuck looks down at the woman, squinting at her nametag, "Maria? Could you do us a favor here?"

"Possibly," the woman says. Chuck likes her immediately. She looks sort of bored but she has a sassy little hint to her voice. 

"These gifts? That we just dropped off?" Chuck indicates the bags. Maria nods. "Could you possibly tag them as being from Gipsy Danger and Striker Eureka?" Raleigh makes big gooey eyes at him, something he only does when Chuck says or does something extraordinarily heartfelt and sweet.

Maria lets out a little huff of a laugh. "I knew you looked familiar, mate. You're Chuck Hansen, aren't you?"

"Guilty," Chuck laughs.

She stands up and sticks her hand out. "It's an honor to meet you. You and your dad smashed my house once."

Chuck shakes her hand, letting out a nervous laugh. "Sorry about that."

"And you," Maria said to Raleigh. "You're Raleigh Becket, right?"

Raleigh shakes Maria's hand. "Yes, ma'am."

"I'm Maria Reynold. I'm the social worker for most of these kids." She pushes her glasses up her nose. "You might just make their day if you go say hi."

"Oh, we couldn't," Chuck says.

"Chuck," Raleigh whines. "Look at how cute." He inclines his head to the giggling mass of children, running around and playing, supervised by a few hassled-looking adults with nametags like Maria's. "It's _Christmas_."

Chuck sighs. "All right," he says, putting his hands up in a defeated sort of way. "We'll go say hi."

Raleigh looks like a puppy dog. He goes over to some of the older kids and flops down, making friends immediately. Once they're over their initial shock, the kids are crawling all over him. Chuck sticks to the edges and a couple of kids run up to him when they realize who he is. Maria watches, extremely approvingly. 

"I just want to take them all home with me," Raleigh sighs as they get into the car to go home. "It's like going to the animal shelter, you just want to take them all and smother them with love and kisses and treats."

Chuck pulls his seatbelt on. "They were really precious."

"That one who couldn't say Striker's name," Raleigh sighs. "It was just adorable. I think he wet his pants when _Chuck Hansen_ shook his hand."

"It's Hansen-Becket now, remember?" Chuck laughs.

Raleigh sighs and starts the car. "I wish we had kids."

"Well," Chuck says, reaching into his pocket, "I might've asked Maria for her card." 

"Yeah?"

"And inquired as to which adoption agencies might be handling these particular cases." He pulls out an embossed card for some agency based out of Sydney.

Raleigh looks over at him, eyes bright and wide. "You did?"

"I did," Chuck says, nodding. "She says we can start the process as soon as the holidays are over."

Raleigh's jaw hangs slack.

"You don't shut your mouth, a spider's gonna crawl in there," Chuck says.

Raleigh kisses him, and kisses him again, over and over again, laughing and crying, arms flung around Chuck's neck. "I love you," he says. "I love you and we're gonna be dads."

Chuck laughs into Raleigh's lips. "We're gonna be dads."

_March-August 2031_

Fatherhood isn't exactly all it's cracked up to be.

Chuck's always hoped for a little girl, but Maria convinces them to adopt a two year old little boy named Hunter with unruly brown hair and grey eyes the size of dinner plates. She says he's a great match for them. She tells them that he and Raleigh will be great fathers and Hunter is just going to be a joy.

Hunter does nothing but ask "why?" and scream "no" for the first two months that he's with them. He throws epic tantrums, flinging himself on the ground in public places and howling like a banshee. He's got a thing for yanking on Raleigh's beard and pulling Chuck's hair and screeching constantly. Maria and the child psychologist assure them that it's a phase, that Hunter is just adjusting to being somewhere new and unfamiliar with approximate strangers taking care of him.

Chuck reminds himself of that when Hunter's got a fistful of his hair in his little hand and is screaming directly into his ear for the fifth time in an hour.

Raleigh is, of course, a total natural. Hunter freaks out all day at daycare, cries in the car the whole ride home when Chuck picks him up, throws himself on the ground when they get home, wailing, until Raleigh gets home to scoop him up and bounce him on his hip.

"Hunter, kiddo," Raleigh says, looking at their son very seriously. "You gotta be good for Mommy Rita at daycare and daddy while papa's at work. You know that, right?"

Hunter will agree, nodding his head while tears are still running down his cheeks. Then again, he'll do anything for Raleigh. Hunter follows him around the house, trailing around the way Max does to Chuck, tugging on his pant leg and demanding to be picked up. Chuck feels left out sometimes, when Hunter asks Raleigh to read his bedtime story and will only eat when papa cuts up his food and makes big googly eyes at Raleigh when he'll barely even look at Chuck.

It upsets him so much that he calls Herc about it.

"I dunno, Dad," Chuck says. "I feel like he doesn't even like me."

"Shit, Chuck," Dad laughs. "You think you would do one damn thing for me when you were a sprog? Nah, mate, you did anything and everything for your mother. You ate broccoli for her, and I couldn't even get you to eat ice cream. It'll pass."

The psychologists are right; the tantrums eventually die down. Though Chuck doesn't want to admit it, even Dad is right. Hunter stops favoring Raleigh quite so much and starts hanging all over Chuck, laughing and clapping and babbling toddler nonsense. There's still some screaming and hair pulling and at least three separate occasions where Chuck seriously contemplates leaving Hunter in the grocery store on the floor in a puddle of screeching and tears, but the first time Hunter is standing on Chuck's lap and grabs his face in little hands and says, very seriously, "Daddy, I love you" . . . Well. Chuck is willing to overlook a few months of bad behavior for that.

Raleigh has a habit of watching Hunter while he sleeps, leaning in the doorway when his insomnia kicks in. Nancy and Eileen passed on a lot of their old baby stuff to them when Hunter came into their lives; he has a butterfly nightlight that used to be Stacy's plugged in over his head. Blessedly, he doesn't seem to have too many nightmares and he usually sleeps through the night.

Chuck comes up next to Raleigh one night to join in the watch. Raleigh slings his arm around Chuck's shoulder, kisses his temple.

"I'm sort of crazy about that little monster," Raleigh says softly.

"Me too," Chuck agrees.

Hunter's room is a jumble of toys and clothes, posters of Jaegers that Herc had gifted them hung on the walls. That had been a point of consternation at first. Raleigh didn't think it was a good idea to start off with Hunter knowing that they were Jaeger pilots, that they were the guys who saved the world. It was a moot point, in the end; people recognized Chuck and Raleigh wherever they went, stopping them for pictures and autographs and handshakes. The Jaeger and Kaiju action figures are still hot commodities, consistently selling up with Lego blocks and Hot Wheels. Raleigh and Chuck's faces are on the backs of the packaging for the respective Jaegers. It would be impossible for Hunter to miss who his dads are, once he got old enough.

They ended up agreeing that honesty was the best policy when it came to their son. They would tell him the truth if and when he asked: why he was adopted, that he was being raised by two Rangers and that Grandpa was the Marshal of the PPDC. The psychologists backed that up, so they probably couldn't mess him up too bad with the truth.

"I wish we could have had him when he was a baby," Raleigh breathes, so quiet that Chuck almost misses it.

"Rals," Chuck says. "I love our son but he is enough of a terror now."

"I just want a baby," Raleigh says. "All soft and cute."

"We have a baby," Chuck insists.

"Can't we just have another one?" Raleigh sighs.

"You're delirious from sleep deprivation," Chuck says. "And we are not having this conversation right now."

Raleigh sighs and shrugs. Chuck figures that's the end of that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _December 2031-January 2032_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHILDREN ARE SUCH JOYFUL LITTLE HELLBEASTS.
> 
> We're getting to the parts where it's just like. Thing after thing after thing keeps happening. The little fight in the beginning literally might be as dark as this whole timeline gets. I figure I tormented you guys with "Not To Praise" so. You know. I owe you one.

_December 2031_

Raleigh always makes little mixes for Chuck. It always seems like there's another song that's "perfect for us, really babe, listen!" Raleigh puts them on a CD or loads them onto Chuck's phone. Hunter loves it. Raleigh sings to him sometimes, when he's had a nightmare or when he hurts himself from banging into the wall or falling down. Chuck still loves to listen.

Chuck pulls up into the driveway. Hunter is bouncing around in his carseat to the song playing. Chuck has learned over the years that there are approximately one million songs titled "Home" and Raleigh loves each and every one of them. One of the mixes he made for Chuck is called "Home" and includes three or four of Raleigh's favorites. Hunter is currently dancing along to the one with the guy and girl who have a conversation with each other midway through the song. The kid really loves music and Chuck hopes that this means that he won't start a band that plays in the garage loudly and badly at all hours of the night when he's a teenager.

Raleigh's birthday is coming up soon. It's Hunter's first Christmas with them and Raleigh is insistent that he doesn't want anything. "I'm getting old anyway," Raleigh had said. "Who cares about birthdays once you're old enough to drink, you know?"

"We can just start counting backwards, if you like," Chuck teased.

"You're pushing thirty, kid," Raleigh snorted. "Watch it."

Chuck shuts off the car and looks at Hunter in the rearview mirror. "You ready for papa's birthday soon, kiddo?" he asks.

"Yeah!" Hunter says, waving his arms. "Birthday birthday birthday!" All Hunter knows about birthdays is that it's a really special day where he gets toys and attention and nearly unlimited chocolate.

"Atta boy," Chuck laughs. "What should we get him?"

"A puppy," Hunter says without hesitation.

"We have a dog," Chuck says.

"Another one," Hunter insists.

"Good plan," Chuck laughs.

He takes Hunter out of the car seat and grabs the mail on the way into the house. The minute Hunter's feet touch the ground, he's running around like a lunatic, chasing poor Max around the living room. The dog is so fat and old he can barely waddle around anymore, and he's only getting fatter. Chuck's yelled at Raleigh a thousand times about giving him table scraps but Hunter's started in on the party too. Pretty soon, Max's feet aren't going to touch the ground.

"Hunter," Chuck says, "don't chase Max. Poor dog is older than you."

Hunter giggles and flops onto Max's bed. The dog looks thoroughly miffed. Chuck starts thumbing through the mail, pulling out bills and credit card statements, until he gets to a battered, wrinkled envelope addressed to Raleigh. The return address is in Juneau, from someone named J. Becket.

Raleigh, as a rule, doesn't talk about his sister except to say that she stopped returning his phone calls back when he and Yancy left for the Academy. Chuck gets the distinct impression that there was something wrong with Jazmine; drugs or a mental problem or maybe just a bad case of frigid bitch-itis, he's not sure which. But something. As far as Raleigh is concerned, the only sibling he has is Yancy, and Yancy is dead. Chuck knows that he keeps a soft spot for his sister, though. Right on the wall, on the edges of the collection of photographs, there are a few pictures from Alaska of the three Becket siblings, playing in the snow or lined up in some foreign locale. 

Chuck is curious, and more than a little suspicious, at the sudden appearance of the letter. He leaves the letter on the counter and starts chopping onions and peppers for stir fry while Hunter colors at the table.

Chuck's just about to put everything in the pan when Raleigh walks in through the front door. "Hello, boys!" he calls, swinging his work bag onto the floor.

"Papa!" Hunter shrieks. He's clamped onto Raleigh's legs before the bag even hits the ground. 

"Geez, you're getting strong," Raleigh laughs. "Like a tiny little octopus."

"I'm not an octopus!" Hunter insists. "I'm a person."

"Maybe just part octopus, then," Raleigh says, ruffling his hair. 

Chuck turns around, crossing his arms.

"Oh no," Raleigh says. "What did I do?"

"Who says you did anything?" Chuck asks.

"You should never get into playing poker, little fish," Raleigh clucks.

Chuck nods at the counter. "You got a letter from someone in Alaska."

"Did I?"

"From J. Becket."

Raleigh's lips disappear inside his mouth and he chews on them thoughtfully. Chuck knows that face. That's Raleigh's guilty face.

"What," Chuck hisses, "did you _do_?"

Raleigh looks down at Hunter. "Kiddo, can you go into your room for a little bit?"

"Why?" Hunter whines.

"Papa's gotta talk to daddy about something real important, okay?" Hunter nods up at him. "Take Max. I'll be right in there and you can tell me about your day."

"Fine," Hunter huffs. He runs off, shouting for Max. The dog waddles after him. Max is smart, and he's been around enough to know when there's a fight brewing.

"What did you do?" Chuck asks again, trying to keep his voice at a reasonable tone.

"Chuck, don't be mad," Raleigh says. "I got in touch with my sister."

"Obviously," Chuck snorts. "I'm just kind of wondering _why_ you got in touch with your sister and why, exactly, you have guilty written all over your face about it."

"I . . ." Raleigh sucks in air through his teeth. "I know I should have told you. But . . . I started looking through some records to track her down in case . . . Well. In case you change your mind about the baby thing?"

"What?" Chuck's jaw swings open.

"I know. I know!" Raleigh runs a hand over his face, rubbing his temples. "I should have said something, I should have told you, but I didn't even want to mention it in case she said no or she couldn't do it or whatever."

"Do what, exactly? You want her to move in with us and pump out babies?"

"No! Jesus, Chuck! I just asked her to donate some eggs. It would just be so much easier if we didn't have to screen all these applicants and go looking for someone we liked or something, this is just so much simpler. And she has my genes, I mean not all of them or whatever but enough. She's my sister, babe."

"And it never occurred to you to even _mention_ to me that you were planning on having a baby?" Chuck snaps. "That you've got a whole fucking plan without me involved? What were you gonna do, steal my sperm while I slept?"

"Chuck!" Raleigh shouts. "We don't have to run and have a baby tomorrow, I mean God knows we're not ready for that with Hunter still running around barely potty trained, but . . ."

"But _what_?" Chuck hisses.

"It's an investment," Raleigh says, shrugging. "Even if we never, ever decide to have another one, the option is there. Just like working all those jobs and never getting nice things so we could save up for Hunter. It's just a little investment."

"I could strangle you right now, I really could," Chuck says through gritted teeth. 

"I deserve that."

"I mean, the presumption. You're not the only one in this family, Raleigh. This is a partnership and it runs both ways."

"Babe," Raleigh says, "I know that. I promise you, I really promise, that I won't make a big decision like this ever again. I mean it. I'm . . ." He pauses to draw in a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

Chuck and Raleigh are not necessarily in the business of apologizing out loud. Usually when one of them gets pissed off at the other, it's solved with actions. Chuck will make Raleigh a Boston cream pie or Raleigh will fix something that he's been meaning to get to for a while. There have been occasions where flowers were bought and one extremely horrific argument that was patched up by renting a nice hotel room in Sydney for a weekend, but Chuck can't ever remember either of them ever saying "sorry" aloud.

So Chuck's pretty sure Raleigh knows he's fucked up. 

"Okay," Chuck says, taking a deep breath. "We're going to read that letter. I'm still fucking mad as hell, but we're going to read it."

Jazmine explains that she's not exactly sad to hear from Raleigh, but she's been very busy. She cleaned up (Chuck still isn't quite sure from what) and got her act together but she didn't have any way to find out where Raleigh was. She runs a restaurant now, but it's about to shut down because they're not making enough money.

"I know where this is going," Chuck groans.

"Chuck, come on," Raleigh says. "Really."

Jazmine is really happy to hear that Raleigh's so happy and married and has a kid. She's more than willing to donate some eggs since she's not planning on having any kids of her own, so long as Raleigh is willing to pay her thirty-five hundred dollars cash, plus the expense to ship them down to Australia.

"Raleigh," Chuck says threateningly.

"I'll pay her," he says quietly.

"Raleigh, this is absolutely ludicrous and you are not paying your little sister a year's college tuition for a couple of gametes."

"This is important," Raleigh says. 

"We might not ever use them," Chuck insists. "What if we pay her all this money and spend all this time and then we just have Hunter forever?"

"It's an investment," Raleigh insists. "We might use them, we might one day. And that's important to me. And she's been a fucker since she turned twelve and grew boobs but she's still my sister. Please let me do this."

Chuck knows that Raleigh's not going to let it go. He lets out an exasperated sigh. "Fine," he says. "That is just. _Fine_. But this is all on you."

"I know that," Raleigh says. He kisses the scar above Chuck's eye, faded now. "I know."

_January 2032_

Max passes away from kidney problems and Chuck does nothing but mope. He mopes at home, he mopes at work in the office and he even mopes when he's on the boat. He's loved that dog since he was nineteen and Dad got him as a present for being promoted to Ranger.  
Raleigh offers to buy another dog, not only for Chuck's sake but for Hunter's. The poor kid can't seem to understand death, keeps asking Chuck when Max is coming home from the "doggy doctor" and why he isn't around. Chuck is massively impressed that Hunter can't wrap his brain around loss. 

Chuck refuses Raleigh's offers, nixes the idea of getting Hunter a puppy for his birthday. He doesn't want another dog, not yet. Max was his best friend for a very long time. Raleigh adds a picture of Max to the photo wall, the one from the wedding with his bowtie and flower crown, right underneath the one of him and Yancy. 

Chuck's sighing around at work, grounded off the boat because of storms. There's nothing to do, not really; all the tracking data is securely logged. Chuck actually resorts to trying to relearn calculus from videos on the internet. 

There's a knock at his office door. "Yoo-hoo, Chuckster."

Chuck looks up and cracks a wide smile. "Marlene!" His old coworker from the lab stands in the doorway, a bundle of blankets in her arms. "What are you doing here?"

"Bored out of my skull," she laughs. "Kevin and I are on parental leave and if I didn't get out of that house I was going to explode."

Chuck scurries out from behind his desk and plants a kiss on Marlene's cheek. "Is this the little shit monster?"

"That's rich," Marlene snorts. "His name is Joseph, from the Bible."

"Hey, there, little cutie," Chuck coos. Joseph gurgles at him. He's a precious little thing, with Marlene's curly black hair and caramel-colored skin and those curious grey eyes that all babies seem to have. 

"How's Hunter doing?" Marlene asks. "And Raleigh, of course."

"The boys are just fine," Chuck says. He can't tear his eyes off Joseph.

"Your biological clock ticking there, mate?" Marlene laughs.

"Could I . . . Could I maybe hold him?" Chuck asks, grimacing a little. "As long as you never, ever mention it to Raleigh."

"Oh, so it's not _your_ clock ticking, is it?" Marlene asks. "Sure, you can hold him. Be careful, his skull is still cooking."

"Har," Chuck sneers. He holds his arms out and Marlene gently places the baby in them. "Hi, buddy." Chuck rubs Joseph's little cheek with one finger. "God, he really is precious."

"So Raleigh wants a tadpole, eh?"

"Yeah," Chuck sighs. "But they're so much work. Hunter's still fighting with us over the potty."

"He won't be a maniac for much longer," Marlene says. "I helped raise my nephews. Those kids were nightmares when they were Hunter's age. Coloring on the walls and flushing ping pong balls down the toilets bad, mate. Why do you think I waited so long to have one of my own?"

"I don't know, he seems really sweet," Chuck laughs. 

"You got it bad," Marlene says. "You're gonna have one soon, just watch."

"I have one already, Marlene," Chuck scolds. 

"Not a teacup one."

Chuck looks down at Joseph, all pudgy baby cheeks and gurgles. He really is just . . . perfect. Chuck furrows his brows, deep in thought. Maybe a baby wouldn't be so bad. He and Raleigh were making pretty good money. Things might be a little tighter with Hunter around but they weren't strapped, or anything. And plenty of people had more than one kid who were both under toddler age. He and Raleigh were a great, stable couple, even if Chuck's temper still sometimes slipped.

Joseph grabs onto Chuck's finger and that's it for him. 

Raleigh gloats for days when Chuck tells him that they could maybe, _maybe_ , have a baby soon. If they could find a surrogate that they both definitely liked and trusted. Jazmine's eggs are banked, safe and sound, at a local clinic. Raleigh is so excited when Chuck first says that the possibility is a little more concrete that he whoops and carries Chuck around the house, howling one of the "Home" songs.

"Daddy, why is papa pickin' you up?" Hunter asks, tugging on Chuck's belt loops, which were really all he could reach.

"Because he loves me," Chuck explains. "And he's excited."

"Why's he 'cited?" Hunter demands. "Papa, why are you so 'cited?"

"We're going to have a baby," Raleigh says, hefting Chuck's weight to better place his hands. "You're going to have a little brother or sister. Isn't that exciting?"

Hunter looks very thoughtful for a moment, little eyebrows knitting, before he declares with great finality, "No."

"That's the spirit!" Raleigh laughs.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _March-December 2032_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is there a "marital bliss - god mode" tag because I think we're hitting it.

_March 2032_

Ever since Eileen volunteered to surrogate, all Chuck's been doing is calling Nancy.

"You're worse than I ever was," Nancy groans. 

"This is the second try," Chuck whines. "What if it's just not meant to happen, Nance?"

"Chuck," Nancy says sternly. "It'll be fine. It's the _second_ try. We're going to the doctor's tomorrow."

Eileen is cheerful, absolutely over the moon that she's going to be pregnant again. She and Raleigh discuss pregnancy cravings and come to an arrangement regarding who's going to be running out to Maccas at one in the morning when she wants a Big Mac and a shake. Of course Raleigh's not sweating it. _Of course_ he's the one taking it all in stride, because why wouldn't he be? Raleigh's a God damn child-rearing wunderkind. He builds a crib by hand in the garage, fitting joints and sanding and staining for hours.

When the doctor confirms that there's been implantation, Chuck is sort of struck dumb. A baby that's genetically half his is going to be growing in one of his best friend's uterus. They celebrate with a pizza party at Herc's place. Raleigh drinks one last beer before promising not to touch a drop for the duration.

"Seems only fair," Raleigh says.

"You'll pardon me if I don't share the sentiment," Herc grouses good naturedly. He's excited, Chuck can tell. Even after all these years, there's still a low-level Drift connecting him and his father. It's not apparent all the time, usually only popping up when they've spent a good chunk of time together. Chuck's been so nervous that he's been at Dad's a lot lately, taking Hunter by to see his Gramps and trying to shake out his anxiety.

"So," Nancy says, playing with the crust on her plate. "You guys thinking about names yet? Hunter came with his, right?"

"He did," Raleigh says, messing up Hunter's hair. It's so thick now that sometimes Chuck thinks about shaving it off, since Hunter will hardly let him comb it out. Raleigh won't let that happen, though.

"Papa," Hunter whines.

"Angela," Chuck supplies.

"Hm?" Nancy asks.

"The name," Chuck says. Dad looks over at him, mouth twitching in a way that Chuck can't quite interpret. "Angela. Or Yancy, if it's a boy."

Raleigh and Dad both blink back tears and slap each other on the back, not wanting to admit how touched they are. Stephanie is completely mortified by the entire going on; she plays with her food and tries to ignore the adults at the table. Stacy, ever the tactful one, asks if this means that Chuck had sex with mama and Raleigh falls off his chair laughing.

_August 2032_

On Chuck's birthday, they found out that Eileen is pregnant with a baby girl. 

Chuck is nearly paralyzed with happiness.

"Angela," Raleigh says as he wraps himself around Chuck, pressing their foreheads together. "Little Angela."

Chuck starts crying and doesn't even try to play it off.

_December 2032_

Angela Marie is born two days after Raleigh's birthday, and from the minute she comes into this world, Chuck knows that she's got Raleigh wrapped around her tiny little fingers, and probably all of her toes too. Chuck could never have Raleigh on a line like that, and that's saying something. It's evident, even in her scrunched up newborn face, that she favors Chuck in looks. She has little wisps of gingery hair, deep-set eyes and a wide nose. Herc proudly calls it the "Hansen nose".

For all the work that Raleigh put into that crib, Angela probably only sleeps in it once. The rest of the time, Raleigh's got her swaddled up and balanced on his chest, looking comically small in his huge arms. They take naps together on the couch and he sings Ben Howard songs to her as lullabies. It's always fallen to Chuck to take the pictures in the family; for the first month of her life, there are probably only two pictures of her and Chuck together. Angela's eyes follow Raleigh wherever he goes, even when Chuck is holding her.

"Playing favorites, huh?" Chuck laughs, kissing her chubby little cheek. "Rals, you're just doomed to be our children's favorite forever."

"That's not true," Raleigh says.

"Daddy, I love you," Hunter pipes up, standing up on the couch so he can be closer to Chuck's face. "It doesn't matter that Angel likes papa better."

"Her name is 'Angela', kiddo," Raleigh laughs. He picks Hunter up. "Do you love your little sister?" Hunter nods enthusiastically. "Do you love daddy and papa?"

"Yes!" Hunter screeches, throwing his arms around Raleigh's neck. He's starting doing this weird thing where he chews on the collars of their shirts when they hold him. Nancy tells them to just let him do it or he might have some issues later in life. Herc says it's nothing a swat on the butt won't cure. They figure it's not hurting anyone, and four year olds are really strange little things.

"Look at us," Raleigh laughs as Hunter rubs his face all over his shirt. "Can you even imagine if someone had told us we'd be this happy when we first met?"

"Don't push it," Chuck says. "Sometimes I still want to punch your lights out."

"No hitting," Hunter scolds. He twists to look at Chuck. "Daddy, no hitting. Papa always says no hitting."

"I know, munchkin," Chuck says. "I helped make those rules, remember?"

"No," Hunter says gleefully. 

"Man, sometimes I really think he's got some Hansen genes in him somewhere," Raleigh laughs.

"Nurture over nature, I guess," Chuck says. "What do you boys want for dinner?"

"Hunter?" Raleigh asks.

"What does Angel want for dinner?" Hunter says, tugging on Raleigh's ears.

"Angela drinks milk. She's a baby," Raleigh explains. "Do you want pancakes?"

"That's breakfast," Hunter says, wrinkling his nose. 

"Sometimes it's dinner," Chuck says. 

"Woah," Hunter says, eyes widening.

"God, if only I could be so excited about anything anymore," Raleigh sighs.

**Author's Note:**

> Say hi to me on [tumblr](http://isladelmar.tumblr.com), visit my [Chuck RP blog](http://daddyissuesandadog.tumblr.com), or [buy my book](http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/marissaesegreto).


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